This We Believe: Exploring the Essential Texts of the Christian Faith

Why do we mourn, and what do we mourn for? Is the comfort that Jesus promises to mourners a present comfort, or something that only comes in the future? This episode discussed the second Beatitude: "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” Support the show *New Book* From Word to Worship: How the Lectionary Welcomes You into Sacred Time Through Story, Symbol, and Sacrament ht...

What does it mean to be poor in spirit? How is humility the opposite of pride? How do we grow in humility, and what should we expect to receive when we do? This episode examines the first beatitude: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”  Support the show *New Book* From Word to Worship: How the Lectionary Welcomes You into Sacred Time Through Story, Symbol, and Sac...

Why does Jesus begin the Sermon on the Mount with the Beatitudes? Are the beatitudes works we should try to perform, or something different? How do the blessings that Jesus offers in the Beatitudes differ from the blessings of the world? This episode continues our series on the Sermon on the Mount with an introduction to the Beatitudes. Support the show *New Book* From Word to Worship: How the Lec...

Why did Jesus scale a mountain in order to give this sermon, and what is the significance of mountains in the Bible? This episode introduces the Sermon on the Mount by placing it within the context of God's teaching upon the various mountains in scripture. It also discusses how we should approach this teaching as students drawing near to the very author of human life.  Support the show *New B...

Season 4 will begin in late March and will go line by line through The Sermon on the Mount, Jesus’ great teaching in Matthew Chapters 5-7. The season will begin with an examination of the sermon on the mount in the context of the rest of Biblical teachings, focusing specifically on the symbol of the mountain. From there, we will do a deep dive through the beatitudes, and unpack the significance of...

What does it mean to believe in God’s Kingdom and Power, as opposed to the kingdoms and powers of the world? What is God’s Glory, and how do we partake of it? What will it look like to be in God’s glory forever and ever? This episode examines the last line of the Our Father: “For Thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory Forever and Ever, Amen.”  Support the show *New Book* From Word to Wor...

What is the difference between trials and temptations? How do we resist temptation, and how do we pray for protection from temptation?  This episode examines the eighth line of the Lord's Prayer:  Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Support the show *New Book* From Word to Worship: How the Lectionary Welcomes You into Sacred Time Through Story, Symbol, and Sacrament https:/...

How do we forgive others who have harmed us, and what gives us the strength to forgive? What is the relationship between forgiveness and reconciliation? What must happen for broken relationships to be truly restored in Christ? This episode examines the seventh line of the Lord's Prayer:  As We Forgive Those Who Trespass Against Us. Support the show *New Book* From Word to Worship: How the Lec...

What are the specific actions that constitute trespasses? Are they simply the bad things we have done, or are they broader, encompassing our thoughts, words, and deeds? When we ask God to forgive our trespasses, how can we be certain that He will indeed forgive them? This episode examines the sixth line of the Lord's Prayer: Forgive Us Our Trespasses. Support the show *New Book* From Word to...

What is the bread that we are asking for when we recite the Our Father? Is it simply the food on our table, or does it also include the other necessities of life? If spiritual things are so important, why does God also want us to pray for the material things in life as well? This episode examines the fifth line of the Lord's Prayer: Give us this day our daily bread. Support the show *New Book...

What does it mean for heaven to intersect with earth? Is this something that happens only in the future, or in the present as well? What would it look like if our lives here on earth became more like heaven? Why do we ask for God’s will to be done, and how do we enable God’s will to be done here on earth? This episode examines the fourth line of the Lord's Prayer: Thy Will Be Done Support the...

What does it mean for God’s Kingdom to come—is it something that is already here, or something that comes only in the distant future? If God is going to bring about His Kingdom, why should we also pray that this occurs? How does our understanding of God's Kingdom change the way we pray? This episode examines the third line of the Lord's Prayer: Thy Kingdom Come Support the show *New Book...

What does it mean to hallow God’s name, and what does it mean to be a person who honors God’s name? What does it mean for God’s name to be hallowed by the church, and what would it look like for those who are far away from God to become persons who praise his name? This episode examines the second line of the Lord's Prayer: Hallowed Be Thy Name. Support the show *New Book* From Word to Worshi...

When we sit down to pray, who exactly are we speaking to? Who is this God that we address in the Lord’s Prayer? What does it mean that God is in heaven? Is he limited to some place far up in the skies? This episode covers the first line of the Lord's Prayer: Our Father Who Art in Heaven. Support the show *New Book* From Word to Worship: How the Lectionary Welcomes You into Sacred Time Through...

What is prayer? Is it simply the time where we ask God to do things for us, like asking a Genie to grant a wish? Or is it something much deeper and personal? How do we know how to pray, and what to pray for? This episode begins season 3 of This We Believe by giving an overview of the Our Father and a discussion of the meaning and purpose of Christian prayer. Support the show *New Book* From Word t...

We will be returning at the end of January 2022 for Season 3 of This We Believe, which will go line by line through the Our Father, as well as discuss the purpose of Christian prayer and the cultivation of Christian hope. Connect with us at: Facebook:  @ThisWeBelievepodcast Twitter: @We_Believe_Pod E-mail: Thiswebelievepodcast@gmail.com Support the show *New Book* From Word to Worship: How the Lec...

What does it mean to covet, and how does this apply to the ways we view wealth and possessions? Why does the Bible state that the love of money is the root of all evil? How does this commandment speak to our hearts, rather than our actions? This episode examines the final commandment, as well as addresses how we should go about reading and praying through the 10 Commandments regularly. Support the...

This episode addresses the 9th Commandment, which prohibits the bearing of false witness. What makes the spreading of falsehoods so damaging to ourselves and to our communities, and how do we learn to practice truth telling instead?  This commandment refers not only to the lies that we tell others, but includes the entirety of the words we speak with our mouths and think in our minds. It refers to...

The 8th Commandment prohibits theft. How does this commandment speak to our overall desires for material goods? Are we people who seek the incessant acquisition of stuff we don’t need, or are we people that have hearts set on the things that are eternal and imperishable? Support the show *New Book* From Word to Worship: How the Lectionary Welcomes You into Sacred Time Through Story, Symbol, and Sa...

What is the purpose of marriage, and what is the place of sex within the marriage commitment? How exactly does adultery violate the marriage commitment, and why does Jesus equate lust with adultery? This episode discusses the Seventh Commandment: You Shall Not Commit Adultery. It examines the Christian commitment of marriage, the role of sex within marriage, and the relationship between lust, adul...

Is there a difference between committing murder, fighting in a war, or harming someone in self-defense? Why does Jesus equate hatred with murder? How do I love my enemies when I don’t seem to have any enemies? This episode addresses the 6th Commandment: You shall not commit murder. It covers issues such as war, self-defense, and the relationship between hatred and murder. Support the show *New Boo...

Are we dependent people, or independent people? How do we honor our parents even when we don’t fully agree with them? How do we learn to honor our aging parents in a society that marginalizes the elderly? This episode discusses the 5th Commandment: Honor Your Father and Mother. Support the show *New Book* From Word to Worship: How the Lectionary Welcomes You into Sacred Time Through Story, Symbol,...

What does it mean to remember the Sabbath? If it is supposed to be a day of rest, what exactly should we do on that day? In an increasingly busy world, can Christians really afford to take 24 hours off from our labors each week? This episode discusses the 4th Commandment. to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy. It explores the biblical foundations for the Sabbath, and what it looks like for Chri...

What does it mean to use the Lord’s name in vain? Does this refer simply to using God’s name as a swear word, or does it apply more broadly to our speech? How does our own vanity lead us to use God’s name in vain? Do our words and actions cohere with our affirmations of God’s name? This episode discusses the third commandment, "Thou shall not take the Lord’s name in vain. " Support the s...

If the images, the pictures, that we view with our eyes each day were food, what would our diet consist of? Would it make us healthy and strong or weak and sickly? We consume thousands of images each day—are these images drawing us closer to, or further away from, God? This episode discusses the 2nd Commandment, where God prohibits the making and worshiping of graven images.  Support the show *New...